(African) Violets (V)

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African violets are such beautiful houseplants. The leaves are either light green or very deep green. The texture of the leaves is like velvet. The flowers are pink, white, deep purple or light purple. My favorite flower is the deep purple. My favorite leaf is the deep dark green. Surprisingly, it's not difficult to grow African violets. The violets do like plenty of humidity and not much sun. It's easy to root new African violets too by putting a leaf in a glass of water. Just don't allow the leaf to touch the water. The leaves are discolored by just a little bit of water.

Sula by TONI MORRISON

This novel by Toni Morrison has become my favorite one. I have always loved THE BLUEST EYE. SULA is about women, motherhood and friendship. I guess this is why it opened my heart. I could feel their pain rising inside of me. TONI MORRISON helped me realize through this novel that friendship is vast and complicated like an undiscovered country. Why do I help a friend? Why do I not help a friend? Why is it possible to live without that friend for ten years? Why, in friendship, can you pick up where you left off after many years as if only days had passed? Why do I help? Why do I not move to help when that friend is desperately in need? In friendship, a best friendship, do we share everything or are there barriers? If a best friend dies, do we grieve immediately or later or never? When?

Believe it or not TONI MORRISON answers all these questions. Sula and Nel are the best friends. Both girls grow up in Medallion, Ohio. Both girls are totally different in temperament. Nel stays in Medallion living up on the Bottom. Sula travels away from Medallion and returns saying the rest of the world is just one big Medallion. Both girls experience very different childhoods. One girl's house is full of people coming by, in and out. Her house is never fully organized. The other girl's house is totally different. I will never forget Eva, Hannah, Shadrach.

Most unforgettable is a tragedy caused by Sula while Nel looks on. What are the ramifications of their actions? There is one word said during this tragedy by a man. He is the man to whom Sula runs for help. He opens the door. He listens to her. He says one word "always." Amazing the power in one word. "Always." I will remember it for my future pains and sufferings, the unexplained happenings in my life.